End of an Era
by Soulfire Stories
Summary: Dawson and the gang face the end of an era


Dawson:  
  
Maybe what I did was a little wrong and evil but I was determined to get her back. Sure maybe I should of listened to Jen but at the time she or no one made sense to me, all I knew was that I needed Joey and I wasn't going to back down. Maybe if I listened to Jen or Jack things wouldn't be this complicated but I didn't. Now Pacey is moping in his boat all heartbroken, Jen is hating me and Jack is disappointed in me. Andie and Joey are well oblivious I guess to the fact that I totally ruined Pacey's chance with Joey or Andie but hey all is fair in love and war right?   
  
Pacey:  
  
I can't believe he did that to me. Sure I knew he was pissed off at the fact that Joey chose me over him but it never occurred to me that it would go that far. Joey was in my arms and he came up with the perfect plan to make her go straight into his and she did. He showered her with flowers, candy and jewelry… he made a website about her declaring his utter devotion to her and he planned a sickly romantic picnic at the ruins…. How did I not know that he was scheming to get my girlfriend in his arms? Well I guess I was a little clueless. Now she is infatuated with him all over again. This is a war.  
  
Jen:  
  
I can't believe that idiot. Why didn't he listen to me? Sure I am his ex-girlfriend but come on… I was only trying to help. But all he could think about was getting Joey back, well he succeeded in his mission. I think he went a little too far though… first he showered her with roses, every color of the rose family. Then he hid candy and jewelry in her locker with poems that he wrote about her and then he created a website about her which if I can say was great web designing. And then if the website wasn't enough he planned a romantic picnic at the ruins. He told her that he would wait for her until midnight and if she wasn't there he was going to give up on her forever and at 11:59 there she was, okay I spied. But get this she was still with Pacey and they were actually happy. He won her back and now Pacey is all alone and heartbroken, I am so mad at him right now.  
  
Jack:  
  
He is such a jerk. I pleaded for him to listen to me but he wouldn't, he wanted Joey so much that he didn't care who he hurt in the process. I thought he was above that, I thought he was a decent guy but I guess I was wrong. Pacey lost the one thing that he truly loved and poor Joey, she was totally schemed and wronged. This is all his fault, that romantic picnic was just too much for the girl. She fell in love with him all over again, like she ever fell out. Joey is like my best friend when I came out she was the one who was there for me 100% and she is like the world to me, but poor Pacey, he stood up for me when no one else would and for that I so owe him everything I have, here's this sweet guy who's finally happy for the first time and his ex-best friend who I thought was a cool and nice guy stole her away from him for the final time. What a pig. I am so disappointed in him right now.  
  
Joey:  
  
First he showered me with roses, different colors for every day of the week and when that thing blew over he hid candy in my locker with necklaces and bracelets with poems that he wrote for me and then he created me a website all about me and his utter devotion and love to me. And if that wasn't enough he planned the most beautiful and romantic picnic at the ruins, that made my heart melt, he never gave up. The picnic was so beautiful but I kept telling myself that I was with Pacey but I gave up to my feelings and let it flow. It started to rain but we didn't move a inch, I guess the rain was what made the mood right… we didn't have sex okay? Just to tell you. He kissed me. He leaned over slowly and his lips met mine and we shared the most longest and heartfelt kiss ever, I felt all these electric shocks go through me and all these images flew through my head, it felt so right even though it was wrong and he did it without my consent. He finally pulled away and we stared at each other I don't know what made me do what I did, after the kiss was over I pulled him in for another and another and you get the point. We made out right there in the rain at 1AM at the ruins. It was so… there's not a word for it but the great romantic kiss fest ended when Pacey caught us. It was so horrible but I couldn't deny that I still loved Dawson. Or could I have?  
  
Andie:  
  
It must of been humiliating for Pacey. I was walking down the street right next to the ruins and it was such a beautiful night so I thought I would walk through the ruins but when I got there I saw Joey and Dawson making out. I was in awe, Joey and Pacey had seem so sickeningly happy and then here was Joey and Dawson deep-throating each other, I didn't know where Joey ended and Dawson began. It was like they were animals and couldn't stop their desires for one another. I stood there in shock as they made out, did they ever breathe? They did pull apart though, Joey got up and started babbling about how this was wrong and that she was with Pacey and she asked him how could he do this to her… you go girl. But then he became outraged and asked her how she could of walked away from him and their feelings and go with Pacey. She was quiet for a second and then he said that he still loved her and would always love her and that he knew she felt the same way, there was an odd silence between them Joey then got up and hugged him and said in a whisper   
"I know."   
They started kissing but way more slower and deeper and that is where Pacey came in. He came up behind me and tickled me and asked what was up and before I could pull him away from what could break his heart he saw it. He saw Joey and Dawson kissing and I saw the reaction on his face and I broke down, I was so sorry for him. Dawson pulled apart from Joey and looked up and saw me and Pacey staring at him Joey was the second to look up, we all stood there without saying a word to each other. Pacey stared at Dawson and Joey who were standing next to each other, too close for just friends. Pacey eyes got all red from crying, he wiped his eyes and stared at Dawson in shock as how far he would of gone to get what he wanted, Dawson just stood there not making a move with Joey behind him, he didn't say a word just stood there. Pacey finally spoke and when he did I hardly heard him, in a low and angry voice he asked how could Dawson have done this… you know the kissing thing. He said that he was so angry at him that words or even actions couldn't truly explain it. He then charged towards Dawson and punched him, Dawson fell to the ground. Pacey was about to hit him again but Joey pushed him   
"Leave him alone Pacey. Just leave him alone. You hurt him ok? Does that make you feel better, does being a big bully make you feel better?"   
Pacey stood there listening to Joey as she helped Dawson up. He backed away and stared back at them, he then grabbed Joey's hand.   
"Let's go now Potter"   
she backed away. He pulled for her again but Dawson got in the middle.  
"It's over Pacey, she chose now leave"  
Pacey stood there for another second and left with me following him, he was crying. Poor Pacey.   
  
Regular:  
  
"Okay so he did a horrible thing, should we still be his friend?"  
  
"Of course we should  
  
"But what about Pacey?"  
  
Jack and Andie laid on their beds as they contemplated about being Dawson's friend or not.  
  
"Actually I don't blame Dawson, Joey is the one I blame"  
  
"How can you blame Joey Andie? She was the one that was wronged"  
  
"Wronged? No way! She was the one that started this, she's a hoe"  
  
"Excuse me? Joey is nothing close to a hoe! How dare you attack her like that? You did the same thing but with some stranger and the difference between you and Joey is that she made out with someone she loved but you had sex with someone you didn't even know. So just shutup!"  
  
"Where did that come from? You are supposed to be my brother that cares for me and loves me and doesn't judge me and here you are attacking me like I'm a rapid dog or something. If you feel so strongly about this then why don't you just stay at Joey's? When you told all of Capeside that you liked boys I didn't judge you"  
  
"Yea you just ran away from it right? At least Joey was there for me meanwhile you acted like I was the plague or something!"  
  
"I did not! Stop attacking me!"  
  
"Sorry I guess the gay guy is sick of being the quiet one! The one that is always helping people out! The one that life is always being put on hold for yours! I'm sick of it Andie! I'm sick of being the nice one, the one that everybody goes to!"  
  
"Then why don't you just leave! You're the odd one out! Not me and dad… you are the odd man out! You're the gay one!"  
  
"At least I'm not the psycho one! At least I'm not the nutty one!"  
  
With that Jack grabbed his clothes and threw them in a bag and ran out the door. Andie just stood there still angry at what her older brother had said to her, what right did he have to judge her? She knew where he was going and she didn't care.   
  
Jack ran as fast as he could trying to hold back his anger and the pain as he got into his rowboat that his father had just purchased. He had expected this from his father but not from his sister, she had emotionally attacked him on purpose. She not only insulted him but also his best friend in the whole world and to listen to his sister call Joey those names made him more angry, he was sick of being the one everyone turned to when they were in turmoil, he was sick of having to be the one that helped everybody out when they were having their identity crisis when he did nothing for his own identity problem. He was sixteen and he was gay and no one cared that he was going through his own problems all they cared about was how they were feeling but what about him? He stopped for a second and realized that he was mistaken there was one person that was there for him 24/7 and that was Joey, any other person would have yelled or hit or ran away and never spoke to him again but she didn't run away, she didn't vow never to speak to him again, she didn't hit or yell…. She stood there by him and said that she understood and after all that she was still his friend. No one not even Andie has been there for him like Joey has, she even a couple times checked out guys with him and once tried to set him up on a date, she was his world, she was the best thing in his life even considering that it was a pretty shitty one. She had this charisma about her that made him smile and she was the one person that understood the pain of being the town gossip, she was talked about constantly but even though she was the town's punching bag she came to school everyday and walked through those hallways with pride and sarcasm, she told people off no matter their social status and she stood by her friends no matter what and Jack was glad that he knew a girl like that, he turned the boat around and headed the other way, he needed Joey not Jen.   
  
"Jesus that was the worst movie I have ever seen in my whole life, it was so horrible it was laughable. That movie had the worst written dialogue I have ever heard! What was this director on when he was making this movie? Acid? God I can't even begin to tell you how this movie sucks and it rating of it's sucking. Jason goes to Hell was better than this piece of crap!"  
  
Mitch and Gale just stood there listening to Dawson trash E.T. which what used to be his favorite movie in the whole wide world.   
  
"Uh, Dawson?"  
  
"Yea dad?"  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
"Sure anything to get my mind off this cheap sorry diluted movie"  
  
"Not to be a father or anything but yesterday you were in love with this movie. I thought E.T. was like your favorite movie of all time. I remembered all the times that you and Joey would lay in your bed next to each other and watch this movie, I even once threatened to take your VCR away if you didn't put something different on"  
  
Dawson's eyes lowered when he heard his dad say the name 'Joey' he was still reeling from the last few hours. Mitch looked at his son in silence and at that moment he realized what Dawson was so upset about, it wasn't the movie but his best friend slash ex-girlfriend slash soulmate Joey.  
  
"You must still miss her huh?"  
  
Dawson looked up at his father and sighed as he collapsed on his bed closing his eyes.   
  
"I am so in love with her that it hurts it dad, we are meant to be I know that but how can I show her and convince her that we are meant to be?"  
  
"Are you sure that you two are meant to be? You are only sixteen Dawson, how can you possibly know that she is the one that you are destined to be with? How do you know that this isn't some high-school puppy love romance? Because three years ago she was just plain ol' tomboy, girl from wrong side of the creek, best friend Joey Potter and now she is beautiful, girl of my dreams soulmate.. what happened to change your mind about her?"  
  
"Three years ago I was blind as a bat, I was so infatuated with Jen and her wild New York ways that I didn't see that the one that I was madly in love with was my best friend that could also beat the crap out of me. For the past 15 years Joey has been my everything, my inspiration, my best friend, my dream, my light, my key, my family, my meaning in life, my everything. She has been there for me no matter what, she was there for me while I whined and complained about Jen and all the other girls and when she wasn't there it tore me apart. But that night at the beauty contest I opened my eyes and saw her for the beautiful woman she was, I have always been in love with Joey I just never admitted it, I thought it would be wrong having these feelings about a girl that saw me burp, fart, sneeze, and scratch my butt. But I did finally open my eyes and the minute I did I fell in love with her and I have been so down lately because I'm not with her, I would do anything for her and that is how I know that this isn't just a high-school puppy love romance fluke kind of thing because I am head in the clouds, ass backwards, over the moon, 100% in love with Joey Potter!"  
  
"Well then get her back! Do everything thing in your power to get back the girl you want and no matter what you do, never give up because the minute you do is the minute you will lose her. Don't give up on true love and soulmates and happy endings because in the end they will come true, just look at me and your mom, if we can reunite you two can"  
  
With that Dawson's dad left the room to let his son think.  
  
Dawson laid on his bed thinking about all the times him and Joey would lay here and over analyze each movie they saw, he would over think everything and that would get Joey upset at him and then she would analyze about how stupid and idiotic he was, so they would sit there analyzing every little thing they could until they would give up and fall to sleep. He remembered the night he had kissed her and about the feelings that went through his body, it was the most unimaginable feeling he had ever felt, not even Spielberg, his hero, could put the feelings that he was having on screen. He remembered the day she said that she didn't want to know him anymore and how it hurt him so much to know that the girl he loved the most… hated him. He thought that was the worst feeling he would ever feel but he was wrong when he found about his Joey and his ex-best friend Pacey it made him feel like he was going to die of utter pain, he never felt that way in his life and it made him sick with anger to think that Pacey brought that on. He sat there remembering how he had asked Pacey to take care of her while he did what he did, what a stupid thing to ask him, if he never asked him he would of have got what he wanted and he would still have Pacey as a friend. Dawson rolled his eyes as he thought about what he had done in the last few hours, he had Joey but he had hurt Pacey in the most unimaginable way, how cruel could he had been? And he still didn't have Joey, she ran away from him yet again. He had to get her back but he had to do it from the heart and not try to buy her love like the old 80's movie was titled 'Can't buy love' or something like that, Dawson couldn't think straight and only Joey did that to him. He just had to get her back. He sighed once more and turned on his tv and put E.T. back on, he was a little less calmer then before. Plus maybe his fave movie could give him some inspiration to get Joey back  
  
"It was the most horrible thing ever Jen, not only did I hurt Pacey, I hurt Dawson yet again, I am such a whore"  
  
"Yea whatever Joey. You are not even close to being a whore that is me"  
  
"But you reformed, you're a good little ex-whore"  
  
Joey laughed hoping that Jen knew it was a joke.  
  
"At least I was never fake pregnant with Warren's baby… mommie dearest"  
  
"Very funny Jen, but really what am I going to do? I care for Pacey but I still love Dawson, he is still the world to me, I am like having the worst day ever"  
  
"Nope Andie and Jack have it worse, did you hear?"  
  
"No what happened?"  
  
Joey was worried about Jack.  
  
"Andie and him were talking about tonight's events and whether they should be Dawson's friend and Andie starts blaming you and calling you a hoe"  
  
"She did what? What a little backstabber! I thought we were friends!"  
  
"Yea, well anyways Jack jumps to your defense and calls her a hoe and says that you were the one that was wronged and schemed and that the only thing you were guilty of was making out with someone you loved but on the other hand that Andie slept with a guy she didn't even know and to shut up"  
  
"He didn't!"  
  
Joey smiled. He had jumped to her defense, she felt like she was about to cry.  
  
"Then she said that he was attacking her and then she said well if he felt so strongly about what he was saying why didn't he just go and stay with you. And then she said that he was the odd man out, that he was the gay one"  
  
"I can't believe that little wench, how dare she say that about Jack"  
  
"And then he said well at least I'm not the psycho one, well at least I'm not the nutty one"  
  
Joey burst up laughing.  
  
"With that he grabbed some clothes and ran out the door, he'll probably be going to your house, so be ready for some Jerry Springer action"  
  
"Thanks Jen, talk to you tomorrow"  
  
"And Joey?"  
  
"Yea"  
  
"In the end you'll chose Dawson, you do know that don't you? You love him too much to give him up"  
  
"Yea but that doesn't make it more simple"  
  
"Yea, talk to ya later"  
  
Joey hung up the phone and fell to the floor, things were so complicated for her but it was nothing compared to Jack. He was her best friend and about the only person that understood where she was coming from. She remembered the day he had told her he was gay, she so wanted to get up and hit him and yell at him and say that she never wanted to talk to him again but she just couldn't, he was too special to her. After that they had formed this special bond that no one in Capeside could destroy. They were like so in sync that you would think they were madly in love with each other and in some way they were. Dawson and her was a different and more complicated thing, they knew they loved each other but for some reason they weren't together and it broke both their hearts, she was madly in love with him and vice-versa but there was now the problem of how Pacey felt. She needed him in her life and she didn't want to hurt him but that was impossible, if she was to go with Dawson he would get hurt and that would hurt her. No matter what she would do she would get hurt in some way. Joey rolled over and opened up a photo album and looked through the pictures of her and Dawson since they were five up until the present time. They had taken so many pictures that her photo album looked more like a movie in slow motion. She took out a picture of her and Dawson when they were thirteen and remembered how they would go up to his uncle's cabin in the summer and they would go swimming and play Marco-Polo and how they would dress up and pretend they were famous and they would be married to each other and Pacey would be the priest and they would live happily ever after, Pacey was also their son. Joey got up when she heard some knocking on the door, she hid the picture in case it was Pacey. She answered the door and looked who was on the other side and took the visitor in her arms.  
  
"Come on in Jack"  
  
"Thanks"  
  
Jack pushed his stuff inside as Joey fixed them some tea. Joey sat down and gave Jack his tea and hugged him once more.  
  
"She's disappointed in me, you do know that right?"  
  
"How do you know that? She's not that shallow plus you're her brother and no one could be ashamed of you"  
  
"So says you, she is disappointed and angry at me. She hates who I have become and who I like. When she first found out she treated me like I was the plague"  
  
"Everybody had a hard time at first"  
  
"Not you! You accepted it, accepted me and who I was and who I liked, you liked me for who I was not who you wanted me to be. You could of easily walked away but you didn't you stood by me and was there for me and I will never forget that. You understood me when no one else did, you helped me through my hard times, you stood by me proudly when no one else would."  
  
"Well I'm special"  
  
Joey cracked a smile as did Jack.  
  
"But you are, you are so special to me and I don't know if I would be here and be the person I am if it wasn't for you and the way you helped me. My life is so complicated and you are the only simple thing in it and I love you with all my heart and soul, I love you more than anything else in this world and you are the only one"  
  
"Only one what?"  
  
Joey sipped some of her tea as she continued to rock Jack in her arms.   
  
"The only one I trust enough to break down in front of"  
  
Joey smiled and kissed him on the forehead.  
  
"Can I stay here with you for a few days?"  
  
"No need to ask! You can stay as long as you want, you can sleep in my room unless you want to sleep with Alex who drools all night, so in the middle of the night if you feel something slimy and wet on your face…."  
  
"Jo! I'll stay in your room, you can be so gruesome sometimes"  
  
"Don't ya know it!"  
  
Joey and Jack picked up his stuff and went into her room to continue to chat, they sounded like two little squirrels.   
  
Pacey walked into his room and fell onto his bed. He had lost her and to Dawson, he always loses her to him. For once in his life he thought he had won and yet again he was proven wrong. Andie was right, she could never love him the way she loves Dawson and she was right about getting himself hurt but he couldn't give up, he had to make it work, he still does. Pacey threw his pillow across the room. He thought about all these feelings that have been going through his head the past year and to shut out the pain and anger he closes his eyes but it failed, he couldn't escape her, she was just there. Pacey got up and walked around hoping to find Joey, he so didn't want to go to her house, but instead he found Dawson.   
Confrontation.   
  
"Yo D-man!"  
  
Dawson turned around to see Pacey running up to him. Leave me alone Pace ran threw his mind as he tried not to lose his cool.   
  
"What!"  
  
"Just want to chat"  
  
"Well I don't so just go away, I have a fat lip to tend to"  
  
With that Dawson walked off. Pacey ran up behind him and grabbed his arm.  
  
"What the…? What do you want?"  
  
"Joey. I want her and I want you to back off and let me make her happy. Jo and me make a great couple. So just back off."  
  
"In your dreams, me and Jo make a great couple and there is no way I am letting you have her. Hell would have to freeze over"  
  
"I can arrange that"  
  
Pacey gritted his teeth in anger.  
  
"I am in love with her Pacey so why don't you back off? I have always been in love with her and that is how it's going to be. I agree that it was my fault that this ever began, I should of never asked you to take care of her I know that now. But please Pace don't take her away from me. For the past year I have been on this soul searching journey and now it has finally ended and guess what I found at the end? Her! She was the one I was searching for and she is the one I intend to be with, she will chose me in the end. You can never love her the way I love her, my days and nights consist of thoughts for her. My eyes only sparkle for her, I only smile for her, she is my inspiration. When I reach deep down and do the things I am not capable of doing it is because of her, she is my source Pace, she is the reason I keep going! My heart only beats for her! She is the one that I am destined to be with and I Am Not going to let you have her! Get it? Got it? Good"  
  
Before Pacey could reply Dawson ran off leaving Pacey behind but before he left he said something that would change everything for everybody.  
  
"We were all friends, we were all a group and you changed that, you had to ruin that peace we had and it will never be the same, ever. You were my blood buddie remember? Our vow was to be there for each other no matter what and we would never make each other cry and that we would be best friends to the end but you broke that too. I gave you my trust and you betrayed it, I gave you my friendship and you used it why should I give you anything more? You don't deserve anything more. You broke Andie's heart and you broke our friendship but there is no way in hell that you are going to break Joey and me up. I believed in you when no one else would, I trusted you when everybody thought that you were a traitor! I don't trust you anymore. I can't. Thanks for the great years Pace. You asked me once are we still friends? And my answer is yes. We still are, but not like we used to be, I don't want to be your blood buddy anymore, just your friend, and that is all"  
  
  
Pacey stood there with this look of heartache on his face as he realized that he wouldn't get Joey and he had lost her and his blood buddy in the process. It was over, he had ruined it all. He had lost his best friend in the world and had changed their group forever.   
  
Rain started to drizzle as Dawson walked away from who he used to call his brother, he walked away in anger and in hurt and he realized that he and Pacey would never be the same. The rain fell across Dawson's face and got his blonde hair wet but he didn't care, it was the end of an era and now he had to move on, move on with his friendship with Pacey and get back the girl he loved. They were no longer the three musketeers   
  
Andie sat on her roof and felt the rain fall with tears streaking her face, she had lost her brother because she couldn't accept the fact that he was hurting. She hadn't asked him what was wrong and she took his friendship with Joey for granted. She never knew how much he cared for her and now he hated her. She looked down at the ground and realized that it was over, they weren't friends anymore. No one was. And in the end Jack would be there for Joey and Joey would be there for Jack but she would be alone. She was all alone.  
  
Joey and Jack sat on the docks with their feet dangling above the water, they looked at their images in the water as the rain dripped in the creek. No matter   
how many times their images were rippled it would return to them. They had found a common bond with each other, they were each soulmates in friendship. They had found each other, they were the best of friends. Jack held on to Joey as they watched the rain fall. No matter what they would have each other. It was the end of an era but they still had each other.   
  
"Jack?"  
  
Jack looked up.  
  
"Come live with me permanently, please?"  
  
Jack smiled and then thought of Andie and that she would be all alone if he left her and lived with Joey.  
  
"I would like nothing more then to live here with you"  
  
"Forever Friends and Roommates?"  
  
"Forever Friends and Forever Roommates!"  
  
He dipped his foot in the water washing Andie out.  
  
Jen laid on her bed as she watched the water patter against her bedroom window, she wondered what tomorrow would be like. She knew that everybody would be different. She knew that she would be different, but she had one thing on her mind that kept her going… she had finally made a newfound best friend even though she known her forever, her and Joey had finally found peace at their friendship and it made her smile. She knew that Pacey and Dawson would be talking but not the way they used to… she knew that Andie would be sad that Jack has cut her out and she knew that Joey and Jack would be like two peas in a pod, she knew that Dawson would be trying to get back with Joey and she knew that she would be okay because no matter what she had her newfound goal…. To be the best person she can be, and she had Joey to help her. It was truly the end of an era and it hurt some but tomorrow would be a new day, maybe even a new boyfriend could come in the picture. Henry was out of her life and it hurt some but she couldn't dwell on it. Dawson would need her help to get Joey back, she would help him and everybody else. She was a new Jen and she hoped that her friends would see the new Jen and accept her. It was the end of an old era and time for a new one.   
  
The rain stopped and revealed the beautiful star filled sky. Joey and Jack looked up from their side of the creek and on the other side Dawson gazed up at the sky, Jen looked at it from her bedroom and Andie and Pacey saw it from their views. Even though they had changed so much in the past night, they were still connected to each other by the sky.   
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Stay tuned for the shocking and powerful conclusion to   
'End Of An Era'  
  
Will the group have what it takes to pass the hardest test they will ever have to take? And the main question is whether they hold on to each other or let go of one another? Will Jack forgive Andie? Will Dawson have the forgiveness in his heart to give Pacey another chance? How long will Jen and Joey's newfound friendship last? Will Joey and Jack's bond last with a jealous and conniving Andie in the background? Will Dawson get Joey back? Will Andie ever get Pacey back?  
  
Stay tuned and find out in   
'The Hardest Thing We Ever Have To Do"  



End file.
